Httyd: The Untamed (Remastered)

"Speak," I commanded as Elsa entered the room.

"Your Majesty, you have paperwork that needs to be filled," she answered.

I sighed. It seemed I couldn't relax. Standing from my throne, I walked toward her. "Lead the way," I ordered.

She nodded and began walking down the hall. As we walked, a question that had been gnawing at me came to the forefront of my mind.

"Cough, Elsa, I have something to ask you," I said, trying to get her attention.

She continued walking, not breaking her stride. "What is it, Your Majesty?" she asked.

I sighed again, frustrated by her formality. "Erik is fine," I said.

"I wouldn't dare call you by your name, Your Majesty," she replied, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument.

I should be more assertive, but it's better to be slow. I don't want her to get agitated if I keep pushing. "Sigh. Well, there's still a question I need to ask," I said.

"What is it, Your Majesty?" she asked once more.

I took a deep breath, and the words came out bluntly. "Do you like me? And don't lie," I said.

She stopped abruptly and turned to face me. Her eyes held a strong, unyielding will. "Yes, yes I do," she answered, her voice clear.

Damn, why was she so straightforward? I thought she would at least try to deny it. "Cough. Quite assertive, aren't you?" I said, trying to cover my shock.

"I only answered your question," she replied, her tone unwavering.

"I guess you did," I muttered.

The silence between us was heavy. "When did this start?" I finally asked.

A hint of agitation entered her voice. "Of course you wouldn't remember," she said.

"You seem angry?" I said, puzzled.

She lost her composure and shouted, "Of course I'm angry! I did so many things to gain your attention! Even if you couldn't reciprocate my feelings, I would understand. But knowing that all the things I did weren't even noticed just riles me up!"

I went quiet, unable to respond. Slowly, she calmed down and her cold facade returned.

"I-I'm sorry," I said, a rare and difficult admission. "I won't lie to you. I'm the type of person who won't fall first, and I won't know that someone has feelings for me unless they tell me themselves."

She was silent. "I apologize for losing my temper," she said.

I nodded. She turned around, and we continued walking. Soon, we reached my office. She opened the door and we entered. Seeing the stacks of papers on my desk, I sighed.

"May I be excused?" she asked.

"No, stay. I still have questions." She paused and nodded. I walked toward the desk and sat down.

"You may sit," I commanded. She walked toward a chair and sat down.

"Now, tell me where everything started and to this point," I ordered.

She seemed hesitant, but then began to speak, and as she did, I started my paperwork.

"It started on the first day," she began, her voice quiet at first, her gaze fixed on something distant as she recounted the past. "When we met, I was afraid, but then it turned to curiosity when our hands touched and you weren't frozen." She took a breath, the words flowing more freely. "As I followed you around, feelings arose. It started little. When you told me about your hardships and ambitions. The kindness you showed my people. When you came back from your week-long trip with a coffin and a daughter, I tried to keep my distance. But Moon, with her boundless energy, attracted me, and I just couldn't find a way to distance myself from you."

Her voice hardened slightly, a bitter note entering her tone. "And when we started traveling on the carriage, I thought you had finally noticed me. All the things I've done. Every night that I brought you tea. When I organized your paperwork. All the time I spent with you. But I guess it was just my delusions." She looked at me directly, the frustration she had shown earlier returning in a wave. "As of now, I'm just trying my best."

When she finished, a heavy silence fell over the office, but the weight of her words landed squarely on me. I replayed every instance she mentioned: the hot tea, the neatly organized scrolls, her quiet presence in the room. To me, these were just signs of an efficient and dedicated general. I had never once considered them to be something more. A cold dread settled in my stomach. So this is what they meant. Merida. Diastasi. My obliviousness had been a source of both frustration and amusement for them, but for Elsa, it had been a genuine source of pain. I felt a pang of guilt, a feeling I rarely experienced. My world was one of power, conquest, and strategy, not of subtle emotional cues and unspoken affections.

"You're right," I said, my voice quiet, a complete admission of my failure. "I didn't notice. I was blind to it."

She simply stared at me, her expression unreadable now.

"I... I am sorry," I said, the words feeling foreign and clumsy on my tongue. "I never intended to cause you pain."

She remained silent, and I knew my simple apology wasn't enough. I sighed and picked up a quill, dipping it in ink, my mind already working on a solution. This wasn't something a simple conquest could solve.

Should I suggest that she make moves? No, that would be an insult since she already had.

"Well I wont lie to you, you are my type. You are smart, well mannered, kind, caring, mature and more. But I had been focused on other things and didn't notice. And I apologize for that." i said.

She stayed quiet. I watched her for a moment, and then blurted out, "Merida doesn't mind you becoming my second wife."

Her head shifted toward me, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

"I want to develop feelings first, though," I added, trying to clarify my position.

She simply nodded.

"I'll organize my schedule and call you when I have time. For now, you're excused," I said.

She nodded again, turned, and left the room. I let out a deep breath, the tension leaving my body. That was more difficult than I thought it would be.

"I know right," a voice spoke up, startling me.

I immediately grew agitated. "Diastasi, why didn't you tell me about this?" I asked, my voice holding a hint of frustration.

"Why do I have to tell you? It's not my problem," she said, her tone as nonchalant as ever. "Besides, I had more important things to do."

"And what could that be?" I demanded.

"Well, if you want to know, since you haven't been training, it has fallen to me to regulate your power," she said. "And as of now, your body has already reached the limit of a mortal. Your body has been slowly evolving, but you wouldn't notice. Right now, your body has god energy. There are many good effects."

"Oh, what are those?" I asked, my curiosity piqued despite my agitation.

"The first thing is immortality, immunity to diseases, power, wisdom, and more," she answered. "Oh, and one more thing: children of gods tend to grow faster. So expect your child to grow into an adult within a few years."

My eyes furrowed. "How fast will they grow?" I asked, a mix of concern and fascination in my voice.

"Within a year, they will become teenagers. But you don't have to worry, since not only will their body age but also their mind and when they reach adulthood, they will stop aging," she said.

I see. I thought, my mind already working on the implications. But how will I explain this to everyone? Just saying I'm a god will probably make me look like an idiot. Maybe I could tell everyone I'm cursed. Only to the civilians. As for Merida and the others, I'll tell the truth.

Sigh. "Finally done," I muttered.

The paperwork was a bit much. Good thing I had accelerated thinking, which made short work of it. My schedule should be clear now. I should go find Merida and talk to her about some things.

"Erik, you have to start training. Your power is growing out of control. The seals can only last for two years at most," Diastasi said, her voice echoing in my head.

Two years, huh? That should be enough.

"How much power is currently sealed?" I asked.

"More than 90 percent. I suggest you slowly release the seal so your body can get used to it. When you reach a certain point, you will shed your human body and your god body will automatically be created. Though you have to be careful. If you release too much power at once, it can be catastrophic." she answered.

I see. I should probably start now.

Using my energy, I slowly moved to one of the seals. Feeling the first layer, I released it. My body was filled with a massive surge of energy. I slowly opened my eyes, clenching my fist as I felt my strength. It was more than I had thought. I slowly stood as I felt every part of my being struggling to contain the power. I took slow steps and headed toward the door. I grabbed the door handle and opened it, but to my surprise, the entire door came off.

On the other side, a maid stood with her mouth agape. I let go of the broken door as it fell to the ground. "Cough. Tell someone to fix this," I said before walking away.

I could still see the shock on her face as I walked off, but I was too preoccupied with trying to control my power.

Ten minutes later, I finally exited the inner castle and was in front of the royal garden. This place was perfect. I had planted only the most beautiful flowers I had found throughout the archipelago, and I even found the flower that gave Rapunzel her powers.

As I walked around the garden, I suddenly noticed Moon running around with her bare feet. Her dress was dirty, as was her silver hair.

"Moon," I called out calmly.

She suddenly froze and slowly turned to me. "Uh, hi Daddy. What are you doing here?" she asked nervously.

"I was just taking a walk. But what I want to know is what are you doing here. Aren't you supposed to be studying?" I asked.

She gulped nervously. "I-I already finished my studies. Right now, I'm playing," she stuttered.

"Is that so?" I said.

She vigorously nodded.

"You just lied," I said flatly.

She immediately ran after hearing what I said, but I didn't move. I was still controlling my power, and moving erratically would destroy my control. Moon suddenly stopped and looked back, confused. She probably wondered why I wasn't following her. She then turned around but froze when I was right in front of her eyes. That's right, I teleported in front of her. Though I can't move my body erratically, teleportation was still in question. My body didn't move; only its position changed. The energy inside my body wouldn't be affected, and teleporting didn't need me to use much focus. With my energy regeneration, I could do this indefinitely.

Before I could reach my hand out, she ran away again. And again, I teleported right in front of her. This went on for a few times before she started crying. Looking at her face, she was definitely scared. Previously, when I was mad at her, it wouldn't even take me a second to grab her. This was a new experience for her, and it definitely made her afraid.

"Moon, stop crying," I tried to comfort her.

"No, you meanie! Why are you scaring me?" she cried out.

"Moon—" I tried to finish.

"What's happening here?"

I turned around, and there she was, Merida. Moon ran to her and started crying. Merida grabbed her and tried to comfort her, but her incessant crying made her worry.

"What's wrong, Moon?" Merida asked worriedly.

"Wah, d-daddy is scaring me," she cried.

"What? No, it was a misunderstanding," I tried to say.

She glared at me. "What kind of misunderstanding would make her cry this much?" she asked angrily.

"Let me explain," I said.

"Then explain. I want to hear what you have to say," she ordered.

One hour later

Me and Moon sat on the floor. Merida was scolding us really bad.

"Now, say sorry to each other," Merida commanded.

Me and Moon looked at each other. "Cough. I'm sorry for scaring you, Moon," I said.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry for lying, Daddy," Moon replied.

After apologizing, Merida picked Moon up and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Moon, what do you want to do?" Merida asked.

"Mommy, let's eat first," she replied.

As they continued talking, Merida then noticed me still sitting on the ground.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm waiting," I stated.

"Waiting for what?" she asked again.

"Waiting for my kiss," I answered with a straight face.

The garden fell silent. Suddenly, Moon moved and jumped off of Merida and walked towards me. She then arrived in front of me and gave me a kiss on my cheek.

"Okay, Daddy, let's go eat," she said.

Merida laughed. Well, I guess this is better than nothing. I stood up and grabbed both of them into my arms before walking off.

"So what do you girls want to eat today?" I asked.

"Ooh, Daddy, I want to try something new," Moon replied.

"I want to eat something spicy," Merida said.